25 PERCENT OF VOTERS EXPECTED TO BALLOT

More than a fourth of Cape Girardeau County's 45,000 registered voters may go to the polls Tuesday.

That's the estimate of Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller.

Statewide, an estimated 900,000 or 25 percent of Missouri's 3.6 million voters are expected to go to the polls. That dismays Secretary of State Bekki Cook, Missouri's chief election official.

"While that may be a little higher than normal for an April election, it is still distressing because nearly three-fourths of our voters will stay home," she said.

Miller said some 12,000 of Cape Girardeau County's voters may cast ballots. He said voter interest appears higher than usual for an April election.

Voter interest has been sparked by the statewide ballot issue on concealed weapons as well as contested races for school board in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Delta, and mayor and aldermen in Jackson, he said.

Typically, there are few contested races in the April elections, Miller said.

The interest in this election is reflected in absentee voting. Nearly 300 absentee ballots had been cast as of Thursday morning.

Miller said those who have cast absentee ballots primarily have been interested in voting on Proposition B.

Last April only 135 absentee ballots were cast. Voter turnout was low even at the polls.

Fewer than 13 percent of the county's 43,000 registered voters went to the polls in that election despite two statewide constitutional amendments being on the ballot.

But Miller said voter turnout should be higher this year.

The measure to allow the general public to carry concealed weapons in Missouri has garnered widespread publicity locally and statewide.

The measure, Proposition B, is one of two statewide issues on the ballot. The other is Proposition A, which would impose a monthly fee of up to 50 cents on cellular phone bills to fund an enhanced 911 emergency phone system.

In Jackson, voter turnout is expected to be larger than usual because of contested city and school board races.

"I think we are going to have a big turnout in Jackson," Miller said.

Contested races always generate more voter interest, he said. "That's what makes more people vote."

Two polling places have been changed for this election. Voters in Whitewater Township will vote at the Millersville Masonic Temple and those in Welch Township will vote at the Delta Community Center.

In past years, voters in those townships voted at the Millersville and Delta schools. Miller said the change was made to avoid disrupting the operation of the schools.